New Ulm weekly review., 1887-03-23

searching yet soothing, about Gov.
McGill's appointments .''--ST. PAUL
! DISPATCH.
We give the following extracts from
a letter written by Congressman John
Lind to the GLOBE in response to
paragraph in that paper concerning the
tax litigation with the Winona aud St.
Peter road. After outlining the history
of the land transfer, Mr.. Lind says:
''All the lands east of range 38, in the
grant to the w. & st. P. Z. R. Co., be-
long to the Winona and St. Peter Land
Company, ;. and have belonged to it
since 1867. ;. The land company not
being a railroad company, its lands
were not exempt from taxation by law,
but it succeeded in exempting them
very adroitly in most of the counties
for many years. In Nicollet County,
for instance, it was quite successful,
but it made ''reputations'' suffer. AS
to portion of the lands in this, in Red
wood and Cottonwood counties, dis
pute happily arose between the railroad
company and the land company as to the
boundary lines of their respective do
mains, the land company claiming in
court that it's boundary line was west of
range 81, but to the assessors and tax col
lectors that it extended only to pointin
the eastern part of range 81, in our coun-
ty. BY means OF the mystery and uncer-
tainty in which these great corporations
always enshroud their business, the awe
| of mourning their enmity, and the
threats of inter minable law suits, this
body of land-aggregating over 100000
acres-has escaped taxation for all
these years. A portion of these
lands, located in this county, have been
assessed in the past; others have never
been assessed. Last year State Audi
tor Braden, reckless of his ''reputa-
tion," took the Barney bull by the
horns and ordered all these lands to be
placed on the tax list for the collection
of shack taxes'' for the omitted years.
I have been told that he was not even
courteous enough to consult the land
company about it. Everybody Except
our county commissioners and otficers)
l-yes, even our senator-thought the
land company would come in and pay
these taxes, glad of the chance, and
apologize for the delay. But it did not,
and it says it will not unless compelled
to by the supreme court of the United
) States. Our county commissioners be-
F lieved me familiar with the facts and
questions involved in this matter, and
desired the firm of which am men,
ber to assist our county attorney in en-
7 forcing the taxes. There is $28,OOO due
? to our county on lands that have been
assessed in the past, and about $4,000
on lands that have never been assessed,
as computed by our county auditor
0 The problem and difficulty involved in
: enforcing the back taxes on lands that
have never been assessed is apparent tc
: every taxpayer. For the purpose of pro
: viding mode of ''back assessments
o that would be just and equal, and afforc
!, the land company ample opportunity
i of hearing, and to remove other obsta
cles, I drafted a bill covering these
L points and making the collection O.
this part of the tax a possibility beyont
peradventure. This bill received tht
:. approval of the state auditor and tn,
- attorney general. I explained it to tn,
: joint committee on taxation. It wa
y introduced in the senate and abl,
b championed by the chairman of tho
:, committee on taxation. But its ''repu
% tation' was made to suffer in the sen
), ate. 1t was sent to the house with
bad .'character'' and finally slain b,
2. the farmers candidate for speaker >
y What the county commissioners Of othe
counties have done or intend to do d,
not know. Our commissioners request
y ed the firm of which am member tt
= take hold of the tax cases with th,
r county attorney for contingent fee
i We accepted their offer and agreed tt
assist the county attorney in enforcing
. the payment of all these back taxes fol
< a compensation equal to 20 per cent. o.
e the back taxes collected on lands tina
q have never been assessed-that is. OF
the claim of $1,000 For our legal
services in the suits that are now pend
ing to enforce the 1928, 600 on lands tha
P have been assessed. we are to have nc
o pay except as we may possibly ge
= something out of the other class. And
in regard to that, the county commits
sioners are at liberty to withdraw theil